To make it more convenient for mainland Chinese business people to visit Taiwan and promote business opportunities, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) has relaxed the conditions for granting multiple-entry visas to mainland Chinese. This applies to applications by both inviting entities and people in the mainland area. It is estimated that this relaxation of the regulations will result in a doubling of the number of mainland Chinese business people obtaining multiple-entry visas, to upwards of 8,000 a year.

The MOI’s National Immigration Agency (NIA) has recently amended the Regulations Governing Approvals for People from the Mainland Area to Come to Taiwan to Engage in Business Activities, to reduce the conditions for the granting of multiple-entry visas and lower the qualifying thresholds for both inviters and invitees. For inviters, the annual turnover requirement has been reduced from NT$100 million to NT$50 million, and for financial service providers, the requirements in respect of the Taiwan subsidiary’s annual turnover and operating capital have been scrapped. In addition, mainland companies with offices in Taiwan that make purchases amounting to at least US$1 million, and enterprises in export processing zones, are also made eligible to apply as inviters.

For invitees, the annual turnover threshold of the invitee entity has been reduced from NT$50 billion to NT$10 billion. In addition, the owners and managers of mainland-listed enterprises are included in the ambit of those eligible to be invited.

Furthermore, to speed up the administrative process, the competent authority can, when it deems it necessary, issue successive additional entry visas without having to confer with the authority in charge of the industry concerned.

The NIA estimates that, after the new system goes into effect, the number of mainland Chinese business people obtaining multiple-entry visas will double from the current 4,191 to more than 8,000 a year. This measure will make it more convenient for mainland business people to come to Taiwan, and will boost the exchange of visits between business people on the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, thereby promoting the creation of collaborative business opportunities.